Seventeen NBA teams to participate in first NBA 2K esports league season

The NBA and Take-Two Interactive, makers of NBA 2K, announced in February plans to launch the esports league.

Seventeen NBA teams will participate in the inaugural NBA 2K esports league season, set to debut in 2018, the league announced Thursday.

“This is the first step in what promises to be an extraordinary league, bringing together the world's best gamers and showcasing elite competition on an international stage,” NBA 2K esports league managing director Brendan Donohue said in a statement. “Our teams have expressed tremendous enthusiasm for esports, and we are looking forward to forming something truly unique for basketball and gaming fans around the globe.”